Track-sanding device.



J. GAPP.

TRACK SANDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1916.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

JOHN GAPP, or SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACK-SANDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed August 11, 1916. Serial No. 114,419.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Track-Sanding Devices, of which improvement the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fluid pressure operated track sanding devices for locomotives, such as shown in my prior Patents Nos. 1,102,577, of July 7, 1916, and No.

1,176,358, of March 21, 1916, and has for its object to provide improved air jet means for delivering the sand into and through the discharge pipe to the rail.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of one form of a single sander embodying my improvement; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and, Fig. 3, a sectional view showing a modified form of air vent nozzle.

My improved sander comprises a casing containing a sand receiving chamber, 3, and a gravity feed passage, 6, preferably formed of the two sections, 3 and 6 suitably fastened together by a flange and bolt in substantially the same manner as set forth in my prior Patent No. 1,176,358, above referred to, the sand chamber communicating with the gravity passage by means of a delivery passage, 6", and the gravity passage being connected to the discharge pipe. gasket, 8, is preferably placed between the sections. The device may be applied either as a single or as a double sander, and may be attached directly to the flange of the sand box or to the usual manifold section containing the hand operated valve for controlling the gravity feed through passage, 6.

According to my present improved construction, the air chamber, 4, is located below the sand chamber, 3, and has an air vent or jet nozzle, 2, directed through the communicating passage, 6 for lifting the sand from chamber, 3, to the gravity passage, 6, from which it falls through the discharge pipe, 12. Air or other fluid under pressure is admitted to the air chamber, 4, through pipe, 10, which may have suitable branches for single or double sanders on both sides of the locomotive, and controlled by the usual valve to be operated by the engineer. According to another feature of my improvement, I provide an auxiliary air passage, 7, leading from the air chamber, 4, and

discharging downward into the gravity discharge pipe, 12, where it may be connected to a short pipe section, 13, if desired. The air admission to this auxiliary passage is controlled by an adjustable valve, 5, adapted to be seated in the opening of said auxiliary air passage, and having asmall perforation, 5, fromthe air chamber through the end of the valve, 5, for producing the auxiliary jet for assisting the feeding of sand through the gravity passage and the discharge pipe, 12. The auxiliary valve may be clamped in any position by means of a lock nut, 11, on the outside of the valve stem, and adapted to engage the casing. The air chamber, 4, is also preferably provided with a passage, 4, at its upper side and leading to a point in close proximity to the vent nozzle, 2. This is for the purpose of collecting any fine sand .or dust that may come in through the nozzle,

2. It may then be readily cleaned or blown out by opening the valve, 5, or removing the cleaning plug, 9, whereupon the fine sand, if any'has collected in the passage, 4*, will be blown out.

With the auxiliary valve, 5, closed in the opening, 7, and the air pressure turned on, the air jet, 2, serves to lift the sand from the sand receiving chamber, 3, through the delivery passage, 6", into gravity passage, 6, from whence it falls through the discharge pipe, 12, and is there assisted by the auxiliary air jet coming through port, 5, and passage, 7 If, for any reason, the feed of the sand in this manner, is less than the quantity desired, the How may be increased by oper ating the gravity valve, and the auxiliary air jet through passage, 7, will assist the flow of this additional supply through the discharge pipe.

If there is any tendency for the discharge pipe to become clogged by the sticking of the sand, it may be readily blown out by opening the auxiliary valve, 5, thereby allowing a large volume of air to blow through the passage, 7, and the discharge pipe, 13. At this time the pressure at the vent nozzle, 2, will be somewhat reduced so that it will not be sufiicient to raise the sand through the passage, 6", into the gravity passage. In this way a heavy blast of air may be sent through the discharge pipe for cleaning purposes without delivering any further supply of sand into said pipe. The sand chamber, 3, has a clean-out plug, 3

In Fig. 3, there is shown a modified form of air jet nozzle, 2*, having twosubstantially parallel passages, 2", and 2, from either end and of substantially the same size or diameter, and joined by a cross connecting port, 2*, of smaller diameter, so as to provide a zig zag course through the nozzle and form a trap for preventing the entrance of sand through the nozzle into the air chamber. On account of the cross port being smaller, the air expands as it passes into the larger port, thereby reducing the pressure and preventing cutting action by the blast.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lette'rs Patent is:

1. In a track sanding device, the combination with a casing having a sand receiving chamber, a gravity discharge passage, and a delivery passage from said sand chamber to the gravity discharge passage, of an air chamber having a jet nozzle for raising the sand through said delivery passage, and an auxiliary air passage from said air chamber to the gravity discharge passage.

2. In a track sanding device, the combina tion with a casing having a sand receiving chamber, a gravity discharge passage, and a delivery passage from said sand chamber to the gravity discharge passage, of an air chamber having a jet nozzle for raising the sand through said delivery passage, an auxiliary air passage from the air chamber to the gravity discharge passage, and an auxiliary valve in said air chamber for controlling said passage.

3. In a track sanding device, the combination with a casing having a sand receiving chamber, a gravity discharge passage, and a delivery passage from said sand chamber to the gravity discharge passage, of an air chamber having a jet nozzle for raising the sand through said delivery passage, and an auxiliary air passage from the air chamber to the gravity discharge passage, and an auxiliary valve adapted to seat in the opening to said auxiliary passage and having a port through the end of the valve to supply air to said passage.

4. In a track sanding device, the combination with a casing having a sand receiving chamber, a gravity discharge passage, and a delivery passage from said sand chamber to the gravity discharge passage, of an air chamber having a jet nozzle for raising the sand through said delivery passage, and a passage at the upper portion of the air chamber in close proximity to said jet nozzle. 5. In a track sanding device, the combination with a casing having a sand receiving chamber, a gravity discharge passage, and a delivery passage from said sand chamber to the gravity discharge passage, of an air chamber having a jet nozzle for raising the JOHN GAPP. 

